Helping Your Child Cope with Teething Pain

It’s no secret that teething is a traumatic time in a baby’s life. If adults had to endure the pain of teething, we would certainly prove to be bigger babies than our kids. The process is unfortunately inevitable and all kids will eventually have a full set of their own pearly whites, but living through the process is the hardest part for everyone involved. Every baby will react differently when teething so the same tricks won’t necessarily work for all babies. However at some point anything is worth a try.

Understanding the Teething Process

Imagine a sharp pointy object slowly pushing its way through your soft skin, pushing so violently that it breaks the skin and still keeps on pushing! That is what every child goes through during the teething process. As parents it’s easy for us to forget that teething hurts. What we experience is our child’s behaviours dramatically shifting into something resembling an awful villain in a nightmare. Suddenly their nap schedules are unscheduled, their favourite food becomes intolerable and they reach decibels in their screaming you didn’t think we’re possible. Although we miss our well-natured babies, adjusting through this time is a “roll with the punches” part of being a parent. It’s important to not lose your cool no matter how much sleep you have lost or how many meals you end up wearing. It’s not their fault they are teething, they don’t really have a choice in the matter.

How to Ease the Pain of Teeth

Having cold things for your baby to have in their mouth has a great soothing effect. Either a frozen teething ring or some frozen fruit. Putting frozen fruit in a mesh bag designed specifically for babies to eat out of is a great way to encourage chomping and also provide a soothing cool feeling on their sensitive gums. And of course it’s a delicious nutritious snack!

Sometimes babies get fevered during the teething process. This can be hard on both baby and parent. It’s easy to panic when your baby has a fever because the source cannot always be easily pinpointed, but there is a good chance if your baby is otherwise healthy that teething is the culprit. When your baby has a fever try to give Tylenol or Advil to lower the temperature, and a cool refreshing bath is always a great extra step. Fevers are just part of the “fun” of teething, so it’s important not to panic.

Once you see some fresh new teeth pop through you can start to think about booking an appointment with a paediatric dentist at a family dental clinic. It’s important to use a paediatric dentist because little mouths are not always the easiest to maneuver around and it’s best left up to the experts. You should try to get your child into the paediatric dentist by age one, assuming they have teeth by then, in order to get them started on the right track. If your baby doesn’t have teeth by age one, it’s still important to come in for a checkup to keep an eye on their overall development.

Patient Experiences

Paul M.

The kindness of the staff really stands out! Visiting the dentist used to make me quite nervous, but now I...

2014-02-26T10:08:16+00:00

The kindness of the staff really stands out! Visiting the dentist used to make me quite nervous, but now I feel much more at ease.

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Chris

Lots of patience with nervous patients !

2015-11-25T15:47:58+00:00

Lots of patience with nervous patients !

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Gilberte B.

Wish I had known them years ago, I'm sure I would not have lost all I did. Dr. Samarrae is...

2015-11-25T15:46:04+00:00

Wish I had known them years ago, I'm sure I would not have lost all I did. Dr. Samarrae is lovely as is all staff. Respectful, cordial and most of all caring. Then what can I say, there is "Elizabeth", what an asset and treasure to you all !!

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Terry P.

I came in for a crown. Haven't had a crown done for a while. The new techniques make it a...

2015-11-25T15:38:50+00:00

I came in for a crown. Haven't had a crown done for a while. The new techniques make it a better experience. Thanks for the care !

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Christina

Crowns are no fun, but with this dentist, and her team, it's almost pleasant! Love the warm towel! what a...

2015-11-25T15:35:22+00:00

Crowns are no fun, but with this dentist, and her team, it's almost pleasant! Love the warm towel! what a nice touch. Thanks

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Carla W.

Melanie always makes me smile ! Her personal, professional approach inspires confidence in the work she is doing. She puts...

2015-11-25T15:32:23+00:00

Melanie always makes me smile ! Her personal, professional approach inspires confidence in the work she is doing. She puts me at ease, which is not an easy task! I have also learned valuable oral hygiene tips. Thanks Mel!

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Trudy

Gentle + professional treatment. I appreciate your efforts to increase my comfort during my dental work. I feel that I'm...

2015-11-25T15:29:10+00:00

Gentle + professional treatment. I appreciate your efforts to increase my comfort during my dental work. I feel that I'm in good hands. Thanks

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Diane

Just wanted to say thank you so much for this morning, Dr. Samarrae , you did a great job on...

2014-05-12T07:18:11+00:00

Just wanted to say thank you so much for this morning, Dr. Samarrae , you did a great job on my tooth. And just a few words on your lovely ladies at the front , Dr.- they are simply the best, sooooooooo sweet, funny, helpful, kind, always a nice thing to say. Very engaging, Just wanted to let you know how lucky you are to have such a great staff (big raise, girls) I dread the thought of going to the dentist ( as a little girl – the dentist’s were not as caring as you are ) it left an impact on me. But , I always leave your office feeling like you really care and you are all so kind. So, for this I say ….job well done.

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Shawn A.

From the moment I arrived, the staff at The Teal Umbrella shattered my preconceptions about visiting the dentist. I had...

2014-02-27T17:56:45+00:00

From the moment I arrived, the staff at The Teal Umbrella shattered my preconceptions about visiting the dentist. I had a thorough interview before getting anywhere near a dentist chair, and got to sit down with Dr. Sheema in a separate room to discuss a longer term care plan. It's so nice to find a dentist who takes the time to know their patient. I've come back a number of times now and have always had the same hygienist - Linda. The treatment from all the staff has been quick, caring, and pain free. I couldn't be happier that I found Dr. Sheema team!

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Basma C.

Dr. Samarrae, there are special people in this world! and you are truly one of them. I'd like to thank...

2015-11-25T15:53:12+00:00

Dr. Samarrae, there are special people in this world! and you are truly one of them. I'd like to thank you for caring attitude and top quality work, always has time to explain and educate in oral health. Dr. Samarrae has been my dentist for over 6 years and she is continually on a quest for knowledge of techniques to provide better patient care, plus the facilities are super clean and very modern. Her co-workers are very nice and friendly. I'm so glad that you're my family dentist.